Sephy's party
by InnocentSmile97
Summary: What would've happened if Sephy had gone ahead with her birthday party...


**Sephy's party**

**Sephy:**

I picked my way through pieces of shattered vases that covered the entire living room, towards the figure silhouetted against the blackened, yet star studded window.

"Mum?" Ow! The sharp, searing pain shot through my left foot as I stepped on one of the broken shards of precious china. I didn't even bother looking down at the crimson blood most likely to be oozing steadily out of my big toe. Instead, I just continued walking.

"Mum? I'm really, really sorry about what happened..." I trailed off, not knowing how to put my exact emotions into words and unable to phrase things in a way that would least likely make Mother erupt like a fiery volcano.

"Sorry?" Her words were like iced daggers shooting through the air and right into me as she turned slowly on the spot to face me. Her expression was carved in stone. "Sorry? Sorry for what exactly? What happened to make you so terrible sorry? I want to hear it from your lips. What happened?"

**Callum:**

I knew it was a bad idea right from the start. And I still think it is, even standing here, at the party, alone and in the corner.

Sephy is at the other end of her magnificent living room, talking to a couple of Cross boys. Sephy at least seems to be smiling and laughing. In which case, she is enjoying herself and some good will have come from tonight.

Two Cross girls from my (or as they probably prefer to think, Sephy's) class walked past me, heading towards the snack table which was covered with everything from prawn cocktail flavoured crisps to mini pork pies. I say walked, but to be honest it was more like a strut topped off with the dirtiest look ever, in my direction.

I sighed and ducked round a group of guffawing teens to reach the snack table. I examined some of the foods that I had never seen before but didn't touch them. I could feel the eyes of someone staring at me and I knew that if I were to lay a finger on the bowl of peculiar sweets, that person would be sure to avoid eating anything from that bowl.

When I was done examining I glanced over at Sephy. Then I did a double take. She was making a bee-line straight for me, along with the boys she had just been talking to.

_No, Sephy, don't do this to me! Spare me the humiliation! Please!_

I quickly busied myself with pouring out lemonade.

"Hey, Callum!" came Sephy's voice.

"Hello Sephy."I answered nervously, turning on the spot and causing the lemonade in my hand to slop over the sides. It landed on the beautiful oak wood floor, narrowly missing Sephy and one of the Cross boys, who jumped back in disgust.

"Sorry..." I said, more to Sephy for spilling drink on her floor than to the Cross boy. But the sour look on his face told me he wouldn't have forgiven me even if I was apologising to him.

"That's okay!" said Sephy, brightly. "I thought that you might like to meet some of my friends from school, but in a different class!"

"Ermmm..."

"Callum, this is Mike, Chris and Josh. Mike, Chris and Josh, this is Callum." I looked the boys up and down as they did the same to me. I noted that they were very tall, intimidating boys, with hard faces, and slit-like eyes. They also had a good taste in expensive, yet urban clothes. I didn't like the look of them at all. Nor them of me either. But prejudice was what made Crosses treat noughts so badly, and if I wanted that to change, I should lead by example. So I held out my hand.

"Hello, nice to meet you."

No-one shook it. They simply looked at it. Sephy looked hopefully towards Mike, Chris and Josh. But she was let down.

"Are you serious?" scoffed Chris "I'm not touching your hand!"

"Honestly, you really think we would?" added Mike sarcastically. I wasn't sure whether it was a rhetorical question or not.

"Well, isn't it polite to shake someone's hand when you meet them?" It was definitely a rhetorical question.

"What did you just say?" said Josh, menacingly stepping forwards and dropping his voice dangerously low.

"Josh, he was only being friendly!" tried Sephy, but the boys' attention was solely fixed on me. As was many of the people around us.

"I think he was trying to say that we're rude..." hissed Mike.

"What? No! That's not what I meant... really!"

"How DARE you talk down on us! Who do you think you are?" shouted Chris. By now the entire party was watching the action intently.

"Chris, no! Please, he's done nothing wrong!" Sephy was starting to look really worried now. So was I.

"Why are you being so mean to me? What have I done to offend?"

"Well, let me think." Said Josh in mock puzzlement. The other circled me. I was starting to feel rather trapped now. "Take a look at your hands. Tell me what colour they are."

"If his brain can manage that!" Muttered Mike to Chris, who sniggered.

"White." I said, ignoring the mutters.

"White, exactly. Which means you're a nought. A blanker."

"Don't call him that he's my friend!" interjected Sephy. But no-one paid any attention.

"And do you know what we think of blankers?" questioned Josh. I couldn't help myself.

"Yes, you hate them. That's obvious. I wouldn't treat my friends like this, so you are clearly making me an enemy!"

"You know what? I'm getting rather tired of your sad comebacks. I think he should be taught a lesson, don't you?" grinned Mike.

"I've been looking forwards to it!" sneered Chris.

"No!" shouted Sephy "Not now, not anywhere and especially not at my party!" Chris's hand clenched into a fist and came sharply up to eye level. I flinched but didn't move. Besides, there was nowhere that I could've moved to, as there was an expensive china vase on a small display pillar behind me. Sephy's hand prevented Chris's moving any further. Chris glared at her and wrenched his hand from her grip. Sephy looked relieved but I could sense that these were the type of bullies that do not give up very easily.

And I was right.

Chris's fist made contact with my face. I was forced to bend double as my eyes began to water. However, I did not have much time to dwell on the pain, anger and hurt as all of hell was suddenly let loose and I could feel the boys kicking me and hitting me.

I knew that they were too strong for me, but I needed to find an escape route, and to do that I would have to shake them off.

All I wanted was for the pain to stop and to get away from this miserable party, where I knew things would go wrong! I cursed Sephy for this terrible idea, but I was just as to blame for accepting.

I could hear Sephy's frantic voice in the background, but I could not tell what she was shouting over the encouragement from the crowd.

All of a sudden, an almighty kick sent me flying into the china vase. It toppled over and smashed on the floor, sending the miniscule pieces everywhere! But that one knock had also caused the pillar to fall on a nearby pillar with another china ornament on it, which then fell over, smashed, and made another fall over, turning all the valuable items into a dominoes set.

The force of the kick had also meant I was lying in the broken pieces of china, with them digging into me like knives. My attackers bent over me and punched me right in the face.

Everything went black.


End file.
